Abstract
Simple SummaryImmunomodulatory properties have been recognized in basophils, in addition to their role as immune effector cells. Recent evidence has suggested that basophils may play a role in autoimmunity as well. The aim of the present systematic review is to summarize and discuss the available studies assessing basophils homeostasis in systemic lupus erythematosus by considering both murine models and human research. As a result, the final search output consisted of three and eight articles investigating basophils’ role in murine models of lupus and patients affected with systemic lupus erythematosus, respectively. The selected studies supported a potential immunomodulatory activity of basophils in systemic lupus erythematosus (possibly by influencing some aspects of the adaptive immune response), but additional basic research and clinical studies are needed to clarify the relevance of their contribution and the precise immunopathological mechanisms.Basophils are the rarest cell population in the blood. Even though basophils are known to participate in some allergic reactions and immune responses to parasitic infections, their immunological role is still largely elusive. Recent evidence has suggested that in some murine models of systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus-like nephritis, basophils may also be implicated in autoimmunity processes by promoting autoantibody production and tissue injury. We conducted a systematic search to collect the available evidence on basophils’ potential immunomodulatory role in autoimmunity and, particularly, systemic lupus erythematosus. We identified several articles investigating basophils’ role in murine models of lupus (n = 3) and in patients affected with systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 8). Even though the alteration of the “adaptive” immune response is considered the main immunopathological event in systemic lupus erythematosus, the contribution from the mechanisms of “innate” immunity and, particularly, basophils may be relevant as well, by modulating the activation, polarization, and survival of lymphocytes.
Highlights
Autoimmune diseases are medical conditions characterized by the development and persistent activation of self-reactive B- and/or T-lymphocytes due to a disruption of the physiological mechanisms of central and/or peripheral immunological tolerance [1,2]
The HLA region plays a significant role in the etiopathogenesis of autoimmune disorders: most of them are associated with specific HLA allelic variants as protective or predisposing factors [5,6]
A Lyn−/− knockout murine model, which is characterized by the onset of a lupus-like autoimmune disorder, provided some important insights into the role of basophils and Th2 adaptive immune responses in autoimmunity
Summary
100 different human disorders can be classified as autoimmune diseases based on specific diagnostic criteria. Some autoimmune diseases are strictly organ-specific, but most of them are systemic disorders, as the immunopathological process can variably affect multiple organs [3]. Autoimmune diseases are multifactorial disorders: they etiologically recognize a background of genetic predisposition (usually polygenic) to which multiple and variable environmental factors may overlap. Genetic and environmental causal factors are variable, according to the specific autoimmune diseases, and even different among patients affected by the same autoimmune disorder [4]. The non-HLA genetic predisposition and the specific environmental triggers are mostly unknown or not well established for the majority of autoimmune disorders [4,7]
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